Perched on the cliffs of Sorrentine Peninsula, Villa Astor is an extraordinary private residence boasting one of the ten most beautiful gardens in Italy.

Description

Still standing within the grounds are the ruins of an ancient Roman villa built by Agrippa Postumus, the grandson of Emperor Augustus and dating back to the 1st century A.D.
At the beginning of the 20th century, William Waldorf Astor, the U.S. Ambassador to Italy, acquired the property and designed a splendid garden at the back of the house where a 13th century convent once stood. Another notable name associated with the Villa is Benedetto Croce, a famous philosopher and political activist, whose presence temporarily turned the property into the “headquarters” of Italy’s political chronicles. In the study of this unique, historical environment, enhanced with marble columns, Greek and Roman statues and many other works of art, the official declaration for the first post World War II Italian government was signed.